A variety of situations arise in which it may be desirable to automatically dispense cards, coupons and the like. For example, it may be desirable to automatically dispense coupons in conjunction with sales of merchandise, such as beverages, from automatic vending machines.
Automatic vending machines for vending beverages packaged in cans, bottles or similar containers are desirably adapted to perform, in addition to the actual dispensing of beverages, certain additional point-of-purchase functions. For example, such vending machines often comprise panels including areas for displaying promotional materials. It may also be desirable to adapt a vending machine to dispense promotional coupons and the like as an adjunct to a promotional scheme comprising displays associated with the machine. For this purpose, a reliable sheet or coupon dispensing apparatus suitable for use in an automatic vending environment is necessary.
Sheet or coupon dispensing means suitable for use in an automatic vending environment must, of course, function reliably in dispensing coupons in appropriate quantity at required times. However, merely ejecting a promotional coupon or the like upon generation of a suitable signal may not be enough to realize full benefit of any promotional scheme incorporating such coupons. It is also desirable to assure that the coupons are used in the most efficient manner possible, reaching the sector of the population most interested in obtaining such coupons. This is especially desirable when dispensing is performed by an unattended automatic device which is serviced and refilled only periodically. Should a stock of promotional coupons be exhausted prematurely between service intervals, a significant time may pass during which the pomotional scheme including the dispensing of coupons is not effectively carried out.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved dispenser for sheets, cards, coupons and the like.
A particular object of the invention is to provide an improved sheet dispenser which is suitable for use in conjunction with automatic vending machines.
A further object of the invention is to provide a sheet or coupon dispenser which makes the most efficient use possible of a stock of coupons within the dispenser.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a sheet or coupon dispenser having a mechanism which prevents dispensing of additional coupons until previously dispensed coupons have been removed from the dispenser.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a vending machine combined with a coupon dispenser which is responsive to a signal from the vending machine for dispensing one coupon at a time.
A further object of the invention is to provide a coupon dispenser associated with a vending machine which dispenses coupons upon sale of merchandise from such machine, but does not dispense a coupon if a previously dispensed coupon has not been removed by a prior purchaser.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved coupon dispensing apparatus which is suitable for use as a utility module in a vending machine, and which may be associated with a display panel of a vending machine.